"Souper" Easy Spilt Pea, w/ Feta and Pancetta!

Three things I love, Soup, Bacon, and Cheese. So being able to combine all three into one amazingly delicious dish rocked my socks. This is the perfect soup for the winter or the fall, its filling and savory down to the last drop. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Serves 3-4):
16oz. Dried Split Peas
1.5 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
8-10oz. Diced Pancetta
8 Cups of Chicken Stock OR 8 Cups Water + 2 Cubes Vegetable Bullion
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Med. Russet Potatoes
1.5 tsp. Paprika
1tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
Garnish: Sourdough Croutons, Sliced Green Onions, and Feta.

Split Pea Soup!!!

Directions:

Ingredients :)

1. Start Chicken Stock or Vegetable Bullion to boil in a large pot.
2. Add small amount of oil to a pan and cook pancetta till cooked but not crisp. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
3. Dice potatoes into small pieces and mince garlic.
4. When stock comes to a rolling boil add potatoes, split peas, pancetta, garlic, and seasonings. Whisk well, reduce heat and simmer with lid on for 30 minutes whisking often. (whisking rather than stirring is what will blend the ingredients and give it a velvety texture.)
5. Add 1 cup of feta (leaving 1/2 cup for garnish later) and give the soup a hard whisk, until it appears to be creamy. If the soup is simmering down to a consistency of mashed potatoes add 1-2 cups of water and whisk again. Simmer for another 30 minutes whisking often.
6. Check soup for desired consistency, add more water or stock for thinner soup, garnish with croutons, green onions, and feta and ENJOY! :)

Onigiri! (Japanese Stuffed Rice Balls)

Okay so, I love Japanese culture, something about the art, the food, the media, the religion/spirituality of the people, and the scenery has me enamored and constantly eager to learn and experience more. I decided to take this fascination into the kitchen, and visited my local Japanese markets. For inexpensive prices you can get all the ingredients you need to make these amazing Japanese  stuffed rice balls or traditionally called, "Onigiri". The best part is they are completely customizable and overall just fun to make. I made these in particular with imitation crab, cucumber, and cream cheese and a little spicy japanese chili pepper. Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients (Makes about 4-6 Onigiri):
4 Cups Short Grain White Rice
1 Cucumber
3 Imitation crab Sticks
1 Block Cream Cheese
1 Sheet Nori (Toasted Seaweed)

Seasonings (Again, these are the seasonings I chose you do not need them, regular salt, pepper, or whatever sounds delicious is fine):
"Katsuo Mirin Furikake" - Seasoned Sesame Seed and Dried Bonito Mix
"Nanami Togarashi" - Chile Pepper, Ginger, Orange Peel, Sesame Mix.

Onigiri

Directions:

1. Place 4 cups rice in a bowl and rinse rice thoroughly with water until water runs clear. Place in rice cooker and cook. When cooking is complete let rice stand for 10-15 minutes. Never Remove lid or the rice will be ruined.

2. While rice is cooking slice cucumbers into small size about .5 in. chunks. Cut Imitation crab sticks into small chunks, as well as cream cheese aiming for .5 in. x .5in blocks. Cut Nori into 2 in. x 6 in. strips.

Onigiri Prep

3. Removed rice when ready and spread out in a large flat basin, typically a "hangiri" But anything similar is fine like a casserole dish, plastic tupperware, ect... ect...

Hangiri and Rice Paddles

4. Sprinkle rice to taste with desired seasonings, and fold in with cutting motions careful not to smash the rice.

5. With wet hands scoop up rice to desired size and press together, use thumb to create divot in rice ball. Add desired fillings here. Add more rice over fillings and carefully press and shape rice ball together into desired shape. (Typically triangles, circles, and egg shapes are easiest) 

6. Place Nori strip up and around base of rice ball. (nori adds flavor and serves as a holder so the sticky rice does't get all over your hands feel free to do more or less according to taste.)

7. Enjoy with soy sauce, eel sauce, teriyaki or whatever you master of asian cuisine!

Nom Nom Nom...

Feel Better Quick, Matzo Ball Soup

Time for post #2 here in my blog. With the rapid pace of school and vigorous studying I've felt a bit worn out and run down. Matzo Ball soup is the perfect pick-me-up! Its comforting and relaxing, one of my favorite meals, especially given the unseasonable cold weather today!

Ingredients (Serves 2):
3/4 Cup Matzo
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Medium Eggs
3 Chicken Bullion Cubes OR 8 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Carrots
1/2 White Onion
1 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt or Kosher Salt
1 Tsp. Parsley (For Garnish)
4oz. Angel Hair Pasta Noodles OR 4oz. Thin Spaghetti Noodles

Feel Good Matzo Ball Soup

Directions:

1. Put eggs and vegetable oil into a bowl and whisk until well mixed.  Add Matzo and 1/2 tsp. of Pepper and mix well with fork. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. While matzo mix refrigerates, start either chicken stock or 8 cups water with bullion to boil.

3. Dice carrots and onion.

Diced Carrots and Onion

4. Break pasta noodles into thirds and add to boiling stock with carrots and onions.

5. Take out matzo mix and with wet hands form into walnut sized balls.

6. Add Matzo and seasonings to boiling stock and veggies. Cover with tight fitting lid, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

7. Serve and Enjoy, Garnish with some parsley if desired!

Red Thai Curry

Here's the first post on my food journey. I chose to post a recipe for Red Thai Curry. This meal is delicious, healthy, and comforting. I love asian food but they have always intimidated me by seeming involved and complicated. I'm proud to say this curry is fast, easy, and new cook friendly! Saddle up and get ready to enjoy!

Warning: This is a spicy dish!

Red Thai Curry!

Ingredients:
1-14oz. Can Coconut Milk
2tbs. Red Curry Paste
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 White Onion
1 Jalapeño
Fresh Basil
Garlic
Snap Peas (I use about 10-15 Pea Pods)
1 Can Bamboo Shoots
1 Can Water Chestnuts
Salt (Garlic Salt or Asian Sea Salt is best)
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
3tbs. Soy Sauce
1 Block Extra Firm Tofu* OR 1 Chopped Chicken Breast** OR Shrimp***

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Directions:

1. Start by prepping all your vegetables. Drain cans of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and mince jalapeño and garlic. Cut peppers and onions into thin strips. (DO NOT CUT OR ADD BASIL IN THIS STEP. Also you may want to prep snap peas differently I just put them in whole)

Prepped Veggies and Tofu

2. Empty can of coconut milk into a large sauce pan or pot with fitted lid. Turn on heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Whisk in curry paste reduce to medium heat cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add peppers, onions, jalapeño, garlic, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and snap peas into the curry/coconut milk liquid. Add soy sauce and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Give mixture a good stir cover and simmer until vegetables become cooked and softened. (about 10-15 minutes)

4. In the last five minutes of cooking roughly chop basil and add to cooking curry. (Waiting to do this last makes the flavor of the basil more prominent and less saturated into the curry)

5. Serve over white rice and enjoy! (Using some whole Basil Leaves or Red Pepper strips makes for a pretty garnish)

* Tofu Version
While doing prep chop block of tofu into 1in. x 1in. chunks. Lay out chopped tofu on a baking sheet lined with foil. Season tofu with salt cayenne and pepper to taste. Bake in oven at 375 for about 15 minutes or until slightly crisp on outside. Add tofu on top of rice with curry.

**Chicken Version
Cook chicken in frying pan with oil of your choice (I prefer sesame oil for this dish) and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken into curry mixture with vegetables in step #3.

***Shrimp Version
Prep strip by peeling and washing. Add Shrimp with vegetables in step #3 simmer in curry until shrimp are pink.